1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor device, a method of manufacturing the same, and a signal transmitting/receiving method using the semiconductor device.
2. Description of Related Art
These days, a semiconductor device which communicates data by radio communication is known.
JP 2007-134694 A describes a semiconductor device which communicates data by electromagnetic induction. The semiconductor device includes a coiled antenna and a semiconductor integrated circuit connected to the coiled antenna. When the coiled antenna connected to a reader/writer is brought close to the semiconductor device, an AC magnetic filed is generated from the coiled antenna connected to the reader/writer. The generated AC magnetic field passes through the coiled antenna contained in the semiconductor device, and an electromotive force is generated between terminals of the coiled antenna by electromagnetic induction, whereby the semiconductor integrated circuit contained in the semiconductor device is operated.
JP 2005-311331 A describes a structure in which an integrated circuit and an antenna are formed on the same substrate, and conductor wires or conductive films forming the antenna are formed in two layers so as to sandwich the substrate including the integrated circuit formed thereon. In JP 2005-311331 A, there is described an example in which the conductor wire formed in one layer serves as an antenna for supplying power to the integrated circuit, and the conductor wire formed in another layer serves as an antenna for transmitting/receiving a signal.
JP 2005-228785 A describes a structure in which a coiled antenna is disposed outside the profile of a circuit of a semiconductor chip. Further, JP 2005-30877 A describes a technology of mounting a built-in test circuit and a radio communication circuit in a semiconductor integrated circuit device, and controlling the built-in test circuit by a radio signal to run a test.
The present inventor has recognized as follows. Conventionally, in order to run a test on an internal circuit of a semiconductor device at a wafer level, for example, a pad of a chip surface of the semiconductor device is subjected to probing using a probe to supply the internal circuit with power, or a signal is transmitted/received for observation thereof. There arises a problem in that, for example, damage is caused to the pad by the probe during a probe test, which later leads to a poor connection in the case of bonding the pad, or in that the pad is scraped and small pieces are removed, which causes contamination. Moreover, along with a reduction in chip size and an increase in pads per one chip, a pad size and a pitch between the pads have been reduced, and hence it has become increasingly difficult to realize a sufficient electrical connection through application of a number of probes corresponding to a number of pads.
In order to avoid the above-mentioned problem, it is desired that power be supplied to the internal circuit or the signal be transmitted/received to/from the internal circuit in a non-contact manner. However, in order to transmit/receive various signals to/from the internal circuit by, for example, electromagnetic induction instead of a plurality of pads to correspond to input/output signals to the plurality of pads, a large number of inductors are necessary, which increases an area required to provide those inductors. As described in JP 2007-134694 A, JP 2005-311331 A, and JP 2005-228785 A, with the structure in which the coiled antenna for transmitting/receiving a signal is arranged on a perimeter of the chip, a number of antennas cannot be arranged. Alternatively, in the technology described in JP 2005-30877 A, it is assumed that only one antenna coil is arranged for one chip, and power is generated using a carrier wave of a radio signal to be input from the outside. On the other hand, for supplying the internal circuit with power, large electromagnetic force is required.